Though fraternities took classes about half the size of those in the fall, members of most fraternities said they were pleased with rush turnout after an active publicity effort. Most fraternities took between four and 10 pledges compared to an average of about 15 in the fall.
“We had a good amount of guys every night … I think it was a pretty solid rush,” said freshman Adam Perlis, co-rush chair for Phi Kappa Psi.
Perlis said the fraternity took eight pledges.
“Spring is usually around half (as large),” said Adam Croley, rush chair for Beta Theta Pi, which took six pledges. “We had over 100 guys at events last semester.”
Beta Theta Pi’s spring class had previously never exceeded more than four pledges.
“Beta took the largest and most solid spring pledge class in our chapter’s history,” said Beta Theta Pi President Zack Babcock.
Pi Kappa Phi, which started a chapter on campus in fall 2001, extended 13 bids, 10 of which students accepted.
“(Ten) is more than we expected,” said fraternity president Brian Taylor. “We had four guys during spring rush last year and we got 10 guys this past fall.”
Among some of the larger fraternities, turnout was smaller than expected.
Sigma Phi Epsilon, which is one of the biggest fraternities on campus, had about 22 men come out to rush and took 10 new members.
In the fall, about 100 men came out and they accepted 25 new members, said Rennie Friedman, Interfraternity Council vice president for publicity.
Kappa Sigma, which boasts close to 100 members, took five new pledges, compared with 19 pledges in the fall.
“While (numbers) were a little less than spring events in the past, we were still happy with the outcome,” said Jake Weixler, rush chairman for Kappa Sigma.
About 15 percent of male students are members of fraternities, though University officials are seeking to increase the number to 25 percent in the next few years.
Leaders of unrecognized fraternities also said they were pleased with their spring rush figures despite their lack of membership in the IFC.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Rush Chair Kyle Nicholson said the group took four pledges out of 12-15 guys who rushed the fraternity.
Meanwhile Sigma Alpha Mu and the newly colonized Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity took 8 and 13 pledges respectively, members said.
“We don’t feel (our lack of recognition) negatively affected the rush,” said Ben Block, president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, adding that the fraternity is actively seeking University recognition.
Many students who rushed this spring said they had rushed in the fall but decided to wait a semester.
“I met all the guys when I rushed first semester but I wasn’t ready for the workload and pledging,” said freshman Steve Khadam-Hir, who decided to pledge Beta Theta Pi this spring.
While most fraternities expressed satisfaction with spring rush, its lower numbers in relation to fall rush left some dissatisfied.
“The numbers were down in comparison to the fall, but that is no surprise, they always are,” Taylor said. “However, I think we can attempt to make that different, instead of just accepting that as the norm on campus … It’s simply not effective to put a full page ad on the back of The Hatchet that has all the fraternities’ rush schedules.”
-Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report.
